Nelson 2 Glossop North End 0

The manner of North End’s defeat on Saturday could be viewed as a microcosm of their season – their play promised much, but in the end dropped short what was required to win. North End bossed 90 per cent of this game, but when it came to the crunch they missed chance after chance to leave Steve Young’s team in a final seventh position in the Vodkat League.

The manner of North End’s defeat on Saturday could be viewed as a microcosm of their season – their play promised much, but in the end dropped short what was required to win.

North End bossed 90 per cent of this game, but when it came to the crunch they missed chance after chance to leave Steve Young’s team in a final seventh position in the Vodkat League.

North End made a bright start to the game – a Danny Browne shot catching in the wind and hitting the top of the bar, although Taylor would have wished to do better for the home side with his shot over the bar from a dangerous cross.

Glossop threatened most though and Kharas’s shot off the floor was just the wrong side of the post. But crosses evaded the front man and partner Andy Hurst and were either just in front of or slightly behind advancing runs.

Then from nothing, the home side took the lead. A long ball over the top was mis-judged by Jason Gorton and his attempted clearance went off the back of his head towards his own goal. This left Smith with a clear run on Williams, and he finished smartly, sliding the ball under the diving keeper. It was nearly two shortly afterwards when Higgins missed a cross completely when any touch may have converted.

Glossop continued to press with patience, and before the break Elliott and Kharas had shots well saved by the keeper, and then right on the break Elliott shot just wide. North End fans would still have been confident of victory at half time.

And there were a succession of corners, but Kharas was profligate and headed wide and over the bar from good chances and one corner dropped in the box but bounced through Danny Yates’ legs.

Oakes had a shot saved by the legs of the keeper whilst Gorton took his turn to head wide.

As things got desperate towards the end, Glossop were effectively playing with two at the back, such had the Nelson threat been, but Parker failed to shoot with the ball at his feet in the box and Allen shot wide from the edge.

Then came the sucker punch on 91 minutes when Taylor crossed from the right, debutant Danny Meakin failed to control and clear the ball, allowing it to run for Calvert, who controlled, side-stepped, and completed the win.